The Restaurant Connection: Matt Levin

Bio: 36; grew up in the Rittenhouse neighborhood; still lives in the city with his wife.

Trained: Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y.

Philly restaurant connections: Lacroix, Adsum.

What's new? Square Peg (929 Walnut St., 215-413-3600), Barry Gutin and Larry Cohen's casual American; he is exec chef.

It's all in the name: Like the old expression about square pegs in round holes, the Midtown Village spot puts "our own little twists on what classic American foods are."

And spiked milkshakes: "Diner-inspired but we're making it fun, doing it differently."

Tequila, bourbon or whiskey? Kah Tequila, a small-batch spirit from a Mexican micro-distillery that comes in a skull-shaped bottle.

Favorite ingredient: "Fritos. We do a taco in a bag and we use Fritos."

Go-to utensil: "My meat fork or my tweezers."

Cheesesteak wid? "Whiz and onions."

If I wasn't a chef: "I'd probably be running my parents' business, [Century Mills swimwear], which would be super boring."

Who's your hero? "Marco Pierre White, a chef in England who really believed in a specific type of cuisine. It took him a while to get a bit of a following and find the right venue to do it."

Tattoos: Among others, "I have two sleeves. One is vines, flowers and herbs; the other is all food-related things."

Exercise: "Something I should do more of."

Fave snack: Sour Patch Kids.

Learn more about Philly-area restaurants and chefs at The Restaurant Connection, philly.com/restaurantconnect.